family is everything
by shel
Summary: it's one in the morning and piper can't sleep...


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CHARMED

"Family is Everything"

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by shel

© april 2002

disclaimer: the charmed ones, cole, and leo and the rest of the cast of characters we've come to know and love, belong to spelling television, inc. and possible other copyright holders. i intended no true infringement on their copyrights; i only wanted to borrow these marvelous characters for a short time in my own scenarios and hopefully return them no worse for wear; the only things i've gained from this story are the satisfaction and pleasure of having written it and in knowing that others may have enjoyed it too 

rating: "pg"

summary: it's one in the morning and piper can't sleep

timeline: the night of the final events of we're off to see the wizard'

archive: please don't without express permission

notes: contains references to charmed and dangerous'please let me know if you enjoyed my tale and why and, if not, why notand, please, don't bother wasting your time or mine by sending any flames

acknowledgements: my thanks once again to each of those readers who have commented on my other charmed' fics

"Honey," Leo quietly asked as he stood in the doorway to Phoebe's room, "what are you doing in here?"

Wearing only her satin nightgown, Piper sat at the window seat and slowly turned her head to look at her husband. She clenched the tissue in her fist and struggled to speak. Instead, fresh tears flowed from her eyes and left shiny trails along her cheeks.

Leo rushed to her side and gathered her in his arms while she sobbed into the soft flannel of his plaid robe. He said nothing and simply stroked her back and kissed the top of her head. As she calmed down, Piper spoke in broken phrases and Leo couldn't make out everything she said. Patiently, he continued his comforting ministrations and waited until she was ready.

After her brief bout of sobbing had ceased, Piper rested quietly in her husband's arms and whispered, "She's gone, Leo." Leo ran his fingers through her long hair but didn't respond. "How could this have happened? How could it have gone so wrong? Is this the destiny we were promised four years ago? That we lose both Prue and Phoebe?"

"No, Piper," Leo answered calmly, "it isn't. Prue fulfilled her destiny of protecting the innocent. You know that. You've accepted that. And Phoebe, well, we don't know yet for sure that this is hers."

Piper angrily pulled out of Leo's embrace. "How can you say that? You saw her. She took the Grimoire. She's evil, Leo. Queen of the Underworld according to the Seer."

"It will be okay, Piper," Leo reassured her as he tried to draw her closer.

"You don't know that," Piper retorted and stayed out of his reach.

"Hey, is this a private party," Paige asked from the doorway, "or can anyone join in?"

Surprised, Piper asked, "Paige, what are you doing up?"

Wearing a cut-off t-shirt and pajama bottoms, Paige shrugged, "Couldn't sleep. Thought I'd go for some of that double chocolate chocolate chip ice cream if a certain whitelighter left any for the rest of us."

"Ice cream at one in the morning?" Piper asked as she shook her head in distaste.

Paige shrugged again and added, "Guess you couldn't sleep either, huh?"

Piper nodded, "It doesn't seem real. I mean, all we wanted today was to tell Phoebe that we think Cole is working with demons but instead we find out she's pregnant and he's the new Source."

Paige sat down at Phoebe's vanity but looked down. "It's my fault," she confessed. "I should've done something about my suspicions way earlier than I did.

Piper shook her head, "No, it isn't. I'm the older sister. It's my responsibility. So, if anyone's to blame, it's me."

"Stop that," Leo said, annoyed. The sisters looked back at him in disagreement. "No one's to blame," he insisted. "Not you, Paige, and not you, Piper. Not Phoebe and not even Cole."

Paige snorted, "Of course it's Cole's fault, Leo. He's the Source. He's the one you've been so afraid of for years. He's the one who killed Prue."

"No," Leo stated, "not Cole." 

Paige glared at Leo and was about to say something when Piper spoke instead. "He's right, Paige."

"How can you say that?" Paige asked in a raised voice. "After everything that's happened? Phoebe's evil and she's with him!"

Piper looked at the tissue in her hand before she looked back at Leo. "He knew about her premonition. He would've died trying to save her unless he was given some other choice."

Leo nodded and turned to Paige. He continued to explain, "Think about it, Paige. Do you honestly believe Cole would have absorbed the Hollow if he knew he would become the new Source?"

"I don't knowmaybe," Paige considered. "You saw what he was like when Belthazor was vanquished. He was depressed and moody. The great powerful demon turned into a lowly mortal man. If he knew he could become powerful again, he just might --"

"No," Piper softly interrupted, "Cole would never have agreed if he knew the consequences."

"How can you be so sure?" Paige asked as she crossed her arms across her chest in annoyance.

"Because," Piper answered as she wiped away a tear from her cheek, "the one thing we are sure of.the one thing that's never changedthe one thing that's trueis that Cole and Phoebe love each other more than anything." Leo took her hand, gave it a slight squeeze of encouragement, and she continued, "Cole would never have agreed to the Seer's plan if he knew what would happen. Not even to save Phoebe's life. He knew she would rather die than see him turn evil again."

"He's probably been struggling against the Source all along," Leo added. "Look how many times he's saved you. If the Source had been in complete control, he would have killed you all at his first possible chance without the slightest hesitation."

"Well, you still haven't convinced me," Paige responded, "because it could've all been part of his plan to get Phoebe."

"I told you this morning," Piper quietly said, "he loves her, Paige. He will never ever hurt her. Source or not."

"Her, not us," Paige countered. "Even if I agreed with you about how it happened, it doesn't change the fact that the Source is now in control. Who's to say he won't come after us now?" Leo and Piper were silent and she continued, "And what about the baby? Are we supposed to let Cole and Phoebe raise it to be the future King of the Underworld?"

"What are you suggesting?" Leo asked.

"I don't know," Paige admitted, "but we have to do something. We can't just let Phoebe walk away from good. Don't the Elders have any ideas?"

Piper flinched at the word Elders' and Leo turned to his wife. "How could they have known?"

Piper glared at him, "I hate it when you answer me before I even ask the question."

Leo smiled, "It's still one of those things you love about me." Piper's features softened and he pulled her into an embrace. "The elders couldn't have predicted how power hungry the Seer was or how she would have orchestrated this whole chain of events."

"Great," Paige muttered, "so it's all the Seer's fault."

"Cole said she was evil," Piper commented with an involuntary shiver, "and for him to have admitted thatWe should've been more on guard."

"Still doesn't change anything," Paige noted. "He's still the Source and Phoebe's still his Queen."

The three sat quietly for a few moments.

Finally, Paige stood and said, "Look, it's late and we've all been through a lot. Maybe we should get some rest so that we can come up with a plan in the morning when we're all thinking clearly again."

Piper nodded but stayed seated in Leo's arms. "Good night, Paige."

Paige bid them good night and left the room.

"She's right," Leo told Piper, "you've been through a lot today and need to get some sleep." Piper didn't answer but buried her face in Leo's chest and started crying. "It'll be okay, Piper. It'll be okay."

"It won't be," Piper cried, "I already lost Prue and now I've lost my baby sister too."

Leo pulled her closer and whispered to her words of comfort as they sat together in Phoebe's room.

In the hallway, Paige felt tears stinging her eyes after she heard Piper's words. She made her way back to her room and, after she stepped inside, promised herself in a whisper, "You still have me, Piper. And I'll make it right. We'll get Phoebe back. You'll see. Our family will be whole again."

***** ***** ***** ***** *****

Phoebe lay in bed under the satin sheets and rested her head on Cole's chest. "I love you," she said quietly as she intertwined her fingers with his. He didn't respond and she picked her head up to look at him. "Cole?" She propped herself on her elbow and asked, "Honey, are you okay?"

Cole gazed into his adoring wife's eyes and lightly traced her lips with his fingers. "There's no turning back now, Phoebe. Your familyyour sistersit's all in the past."

"It might take me some time" Phoebe admitted.

"Understandable," Cole simply said.

"But, you're my family," she insisted as she tenderly kissed Cole's lips. "You and our baby."

Cole gave her the hint of a smile, "Our son."

"Our son," Phoebe repeated with a wondrous smile of her own. "Tomorrow begins our new future."

"I love you, Phoebe," Cole stated with a sense of urgency.

"Tomorrow can wait," Phoebe decided as she lay her head on the pillow. She tugged on her husband's hand and kissed it before meeting his eyes with hers. "Love me, Cole, just love me."

"Always and forever," he responded in a whisper before he brought his lips down on hers and made her request come true.

the end 


End file.
